The din out of North Korea was a little too quiet recently. Not so much anymore. Yonhap [2]has just reported that the residents of the infamous Yeonpyeong island, which was recently shelled by North Korea in response to a South Korea drill, and other bordering islands. have been ordered to move into air raid bunkers. This is a very rapid escalation following the earlier announcement by The Chosunilbo [3]that North Korea has deployed rocket launchers along its west coast, in response to a live fire artillery drill which South Korea announced earlier would proceed as planned. “The North also reportedly made coastal artillery ready to fire and put some fighter jets on the west coast on standby.”

North Korea has deployed multiple rocket launchers along the shore north of Yeonpyeong, Baeknyeong and Gangwha islands in response to a planned South Korean artillery drill on Yeonpyeong, government sources here say. The North earlier threatened an “unpredicted self-defense counterattack” to the drills.

A South Korean government source said, “After making the threat in a message sent Friday, North Korea raised the alert level at artillery divisions on the west coast and deployed the multiple rocket launchers.” The source added the South Korean military is monitoring the situation.

And just to make sure that the world is fully aware which axis is now calling the geopolitical shots, Russia’s UN envoy Churkin told South Korea it would be “better” it the country did not hold its military exercises (which had previously received America’s blessing) at this time.

All active personnel serving with the Air Force Global Strike Command have been issued a special alert on Dec 18. Air Force Global Strike Command is responsible for deploying Long Range Strategic Bombers including B-52 and B-2 bombers. There are believed to be 30 B-52 and 11 B-2 bombers stationed at Anderson Air Force base on the Island of Guam. The USAF 36th Wing would be used as the main bomber force in advent of a war on the Korean Peninsula. The Amateur radio operator affiliation known as Sky Watchers has been reporting a substantial increase in Air Traffic at Anderson Air Force base since Dec 15. Strategic bombers deployed from Guam would rendezvous with Fighters from the 5th Air Force stationed in Japan before entering a combat area such as North Korea. The last confirmed deployment of Stealth Aircraft to Guam was in 2009.

And here we were hoping that the coming week would be quiet and peaceful…